Passing Comments
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Road-marking lin. A RISING out of the crisis, provements Enforced r-kmany jobs are being under
By Crisis . . . . taken on our roads, which no
other occurrence perhaps would have moved the authorities to contemplate. The painting of white lines down the centre of town and country roads is proceeding at a great pace in many districts and it is obvious that the work can be done speedily if sufficient pressure be brought to bear. Whilst the need for such demarcation during a blackout is apparent to the authorities and is receiving attention, the benefit to be,derived in normal circumstances under foggy conditions would be equally great. Such lines would have saved many a crash in our winter fogs. Out of evil cometh good—sometimes.. Perhaps this lesson may stick.
Italy's Efforts To Obtain More Alcohol
IT appears that the attempt ot the fuel controllers in Italy to Fuel promote alcohol production to an extent that would allow 20 per cent. of absolute alcohol to be added to all motor spirit used in that country has encountered difficulties. It was originally believed that the alcohol could be obtained by enlarging the area of beet production in the sugar-beet districts of the North, the crops there being turned partly into sugar and partly into alcohol. This extension has been found to be difficult in the sugar districts, whilst, in others, cultivation is impracticable. Therefore, sorgo is being introduced as an additional crop which can be cultivated on poor soil. Another source of alcohol is cactus fruits, for which large areas of country are available. Difficulty of Seeing pARTIAL obscuration of Light Signals When I traffic-light signals is cer Shielded tainly essential, but the method adopted varies somewhat in different areas. In some, the light is shielded by slats; in others, only a small cross, exactly like a plus sign, is allowed for the emission of light. At night these are perhaps not very difficult to see, but during the day, particuarly when the sun is shining on the signals, the changes are extremely difficult to observe. In a number of cases we have seen vehicles cross against the red when, obviously, the drivers had not noticed the change.
Why Pay for the Q UGAR-BEET factory Haul age of Beet *-)officials are recommending
Dirt farmers to take some steps to
have their beet in a cleaner condition for collection by hauliers. It is pointed out that the percentage of dirt in a load of sugar beet 45 so high that a farmer growing 60 acres of sugar beet and paying an average price of 5s. per ton for•haulage will actually spend, in the course of a cam paign, 223 5s. on the conveyance of dirt from his farm to the factory. Incidentally, it is anticipated that the coming campaign will show a bumper crop, and already farmers are anticipating trouble and delay in the delivery of the sugar beet to the factories.
A Steady Improve4OTOR fuel in America ment in American i I' /seems to be improving in Motor Spirit . . quality. Tests of 36 grades of
spirit from 12 companies showed that the average octane number of the more expensive fuels is now 80. A year ago it was 79. The standard quality is now 74 against 73, but the most striking difference is in the third grade, whial has jumped from 52 to 62 in octane number; some even have a rating of 69. The octane values of these three classes of fuel in 1932 were 74, 61 and 51, respectively. Volatility is also better, this being mainly in respect of the third grade.